Pope Francis has experienced “a truly surprising improvement” since returning to the Vatican to recover after battling a severe case of double pneumonia, according to the doctor who oversaw his five-week hospital stay, reports Breaking News.
“I find him very lively,” stated Dr. Sergio Alfieri on Saturday, following a visit to the pope’s apartment in the Santa Marta Domus on Wednesday, three days after his discharge from Rome’s Gemelli hospital, reports Breaking News.
“I believe that he will return if not to 100%, 90% of where he was before,” reports Breaking News.
Francis appeared weak and fragile as he addressed a crowd of well-wishers from a hospital balcony on Sunday.
His voice faltered as he complimented a woman in the audience for bringing yellow flowers.
He could only partially raise his arm to offer a blessing and struggled for breath as he was wheeled back inside, reports Breaking News.
Dr. Alfieri noted that the pope’s voice was getting stronger and that his dependency on supplemental oxygen had lessened.
The restricted movement in his arm was due to an unspecified injury he suffered before being admitted to the hospital, which will require time to heal, Dr. Alfieri explained.
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The 88-year-old pontiff was hospitalized on February 14 following a prolonged struggle with bronchitis that left him short of breath and swiftly developed into double pneumonia, revealing a complex polymicrobial respiratory infection involving viral, bacterial, and fungal elements, reports Breaking News.
Doctors stressed the difficulty of treating his condition due to his age, reliance on a wheelchair, and the fact that part of his lung had been removed in his youth.
Dr. Alfieri reiterated that he doubted the pope would survive after suffering a severe respiratory crisis one week into his hospitalization. He informed the pope that the “decisive” treatment required to save his life carried risks for his organs.
“He gave his consent, and then he looked at Massimiliano Streppetti, whom he named his personal health assistant who assumed the responsibility, to say, ‘We approve everything’, also at the price of coming out with damaged kidneys or bone marrow that produces damaging red blood cells,” said Dr. Alfieri, reports Breaking News.
Dr. Alfieri preferred to describe the treatment as “decisive” rather than aggressive, emphasizing that no extraordinary life-extending measures were used.
The February 22 episode was just one of several critical points where the pope’s survival was uncertain, the doctor noted.
While Francis overcame double pneumonia in the hospital, Dr. Alfieri said he is still being treated for the fungal infection, which will take months to resolve, reports Breaking News.
The pope is also undergoing physical, respiratory, and speech therapy.
Dr. Alfieri remains in daily consultation with the pope’s personal medical team and will continue visiting him weekly at the Vatican, reports Breaking News.
During this week’s visit, the pope displayed his characteristic humor when Dr. Alfieri remarked that the 88-year-old pontiff had the mindset of someone in their 50s or 60s.
“As I leaned in, he said, ‘Not 50, 40,’” Dr Alfieri recalled, reports Breaking News.
“So his good sense of humour is back,” reports Breaking News.
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